School business program wins award

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PITSBURG — Franklin Monroe Local School District was announced as one of three winners of awards for “Outstanding Multi-District Impact Programs” at the Ohio School Board Association Southwest Region Fall Conference.

The annual awards recognize outstanding programs that promote student achievement.

The Franklin Monroe Business Academy is a partnership between the Miami Valley Career Technical Center and Sinclair Community College. The program allows Franklin Monroe students in grades 9-12 to earn college credits by taking business courses at Franklin Monroe High School.

Instructor Carrie Wiant explained that the Business Academy is run in coordination with the tech prep program, and students are getting college credit for taking classes in areas that would not earn college credit as part of the College Credit Plus program.

The Business Academy currently is in its second year at Franklin Monroe. There are about 76 students in grades 9-12 participating this year.

Students can take college-level courses in financial accounting, foundations of business, computer applications, customer service, introduction to keyboarding and document processing, and they earn college credit for it at the same time. Students can earn a potential 16 semester hours of college credit through the program.

Wiant said the program is, for the most part, targeted toward students who will go on to continue their education after high school, “but there are skills that students could take directly into the workforce.”

Wiant said the classes include information about how to apply for a job and how to complete a resume.

Participation in the Business Academy also makes students eligible to participate in Business Professionals of America. That program offers opportunities for students to compete with the business skills they have learned.

“In BPA, they learn the value of service and giving back to the community,” Wiant said. “They learn leadership skills that can help them no matter what their career path may be.”

By Rachel Lloyd

[email protected]

Reach the writer at 937-569-4354 or on Twitter @RachelLloydGDA.

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